Interests, Activities, and Self-Identification Among Social Work Students

Abstract

Recent studies have suggested that the career interests of many social work students are inconsistent with the traditionally defined concept of social work identity. The current study conceptualized, operationaliz.ed, and developed measures of the prevalence of various interests, preferred activities, and self-identifications associated with social work identity among graduate social work students at the University of Toronto. Reliable dimensions of social work interests and activities were identified. Four distinct subgroups with particular patterns of interests were found: (1) policy and research, (2) private and direct practice with voluntary clients, (3) traditional social work, and (4) undifferentiated. Subgroup membership was related to self-identification and preferred service fields. Although the majority of the students chose "social worker" as their primary identification, significant numbers close "clinical social worker" or "therapist ." Self-identification was significantly correlated with preferred client group, practice activity, and interest in private practice. The hypothesis that bachelor of social work graduates would be more identified with traditional social work activities received only partial support.

The Relationship Between Social Work and Psychoanalysis: The Future Impact of Social Workers

“…Some writers have suggested that the values and interests of social work students are inconsistent with traditionally defined concepts of social work identify (Bogo, Raphael, & Roberts, 1993). A national study of graduate social work students, however, showed that the beliefs about ''students flight from traditional social work values into entrepreneurial, private practice orientations have been overestimated.''…”

Social Work Education as Professional Socialization

“…A large proportion of students (with the exception of Britain) at the beginning of their studies and upon graduation want to engage in private practice (Butler, 1990;Rubin & Johnson, 1984). Finally, regardless of the stage that students are in the socialization process or of their nationality, they express a marked preference for direct or psychotherapeutic oriented practice over engagement in social action or policy development activities (Abell & McDonell, 1990;Bogo, Raphael, & Roberts, 1993;Guttmann & Cohen, 1992).…”

Social Workers as Boundary Spanners: Reframing our Professional Identity for Interprofessional Practice

“…The nature of these values and norms is contested, but the definition of social work adopted by the International Federation of Social Workers and International Association of Schools of Social Work (International Federation of Social Workers, 2002) reflects a widespread consensus that a core commitment to social justice, human rights and the person-inenvironment perspective distinguish the profession (Hare, 2004). The problem is that many social work graduates choose career paths in which a commitment to social reform, structural interventions or even a combination of micro and macro practice is hard to discern (Butler, 1990;Bogo et al, 1993;D'aprix et al, 2004;Weiss et al, 2004;Weiss, 2006;Weiss-Gal, 2008). These choices may be somewhat pragmatic, but they also suggest that we could do a better job of helping social work students assume a professional identity rooted in our core values.…”

“…While this paper focuses on North America, researchers from Europe, Israel, the US and Canada have all raised concerns about social work students failing to internalize a shared sense of social work's professional mission, values and norms (Butler, 1990;Bogo et al, 1993;Barretti, 2004;D'aprix et al, 2004;Weiss et al, 2004;Weiss, 2006;Woodward and Mackay, 2011). The nature of these values and norms is contested, but the definition of social work adopted by the International Federation of Social Workers and International Association of Schools of Social Work (International Federation of Social Workers, 2002) reflects a widespread consensus that a core commitment to social justice, human rights and the person-inenvironment perspective distinguish the profession (Hare, 2004).…”